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Isaac Kleiner
Dr. Isaac Kleiner is one of the main characters of Half-Life 2 and its episodes. An archetypal 'absent-minded genius scientist' (although somewhat more benign), he is a prolific author of several works on teleportation and interdimensional travel, and one of the few survivors of the incident that took place in the Black Mesa Research Facility. Later on, he becomes a key (if somewhat self-conscious) leader of the Resistance against the Combine, and a prime member of the Resistance science team. Biography Background Kleiner first appeared in several instruction manuals of the Half-Life games story arc, notably in letters sent by L.M. to other characters: *In the Half-Life instruction manual where he first appeared, it is learned in a May 5, 200- letter to Gordon Freeman that Kleiner recommended Gordon for employment at Black Mesa. The letter also says he was one of his teachers at MIT, and that he thinks Gordon's career at Black Mesa "will be a long a rewarding one". *The Blue Shift instruction manual features a May 9, 200- letter sent to Barney Calhoun about his Blue Shift assignment, with a carbon copy sent to Kleiner. *Another letter found in the instruction manual of the PlayStation 2 version of Half-Life, sent on May 11, 200- to Colette Green about the Xen crystal swap, also shows another carbon copy was sent to Kleiner. *As seen in the Hazard Course Training schedule also found in the instruction manual of the PlayStation 2 version of Half-Life, Kleiner was to instruct Colette Green for an Anomalous Materials Handling on May 14, 200-, at 19:00, but it was postponed to June. Due to the Black Mesa Incident however, it did not happen.Half-Life PlayStation 2 instruction manual Kleiner is also mentioned by Richard Keller before the Resonance Cascade at the start of Decay, where the latter states he does not understand what Kleiner sees in Gordon. Before the Half-Life 2 events, he manages to survive the Resonance Cascade, though exactly how is unknown, possibly with Barney. Appearances ''Half-Life 2 to open the door to the resurrected teleport.]] Along with colleagues (and fellow survivors) Alyx Vance, Eli Vance and Barney Calhoun, he makes up the core of the Resistance against the Combine. Dr. Kleiner has set up a lab in City 17 in an old abandoned warehouse. A teleportation system, developed jointly by Kleiner and Vance, allows for near-instantaneous transportation between Kleiner's Lab and Vance's facility, several miles distant. As a pet, Dr. Kleiner keeps a debeaked Headcrab he calls "Lamarr". When Barney informs him that Gordon Freeman has arrived, Kleiner tells Barney to send Gordon on his way - although he forgot that Gordon would not know the way to the lab. Alyx eventually has to rescue Gordon and show him the way to the lab. Kleiner then reintroduces Gordon to his HEV Suit which he has upgraded before sending him on his way to Black Mesa East, outside the limits of City 17. Unfortunately, Lamarr interferes with the teleportation process. Gordon is thrown through several locations before finally rematerializing outside the window behind Dr Kleiner. He is then required to leave Kleiner's Lab on foot and will not return until the City 17 uprising. During the rebellion, Dog turns up to Kleiner who keeps him safe in his lab. Kleiner is apparently alone during most of the uprising (save for Lamarr) as Barney is leading on the rebellion fronts, so he protects himself with a shotgun. When Gordon and Alyx teleport in from Nova Prospekt a week into the rebellion, Kleiner is very optimistic about the Resistance's odds and tries to convince Alyx of this, at which he fails. He is not seen for the rest of the game but manages to escape City 17 at some point between when Alyx leaves to find Gordon and the start of ''Episode One. A depiction of Kleiner's younger self can also be seen in the lab, appearing on the cover of Popular Scientist, a fictional magazine (and spoof of Popular Science magazine). In it, he sports sideburns and has more hair, which is seen as brown in color. Although this is a somewhat 1970s/80s look, the picture likely dates from around the Black Mesa Incident, thus in the mid to late 1990s. Below the magazine cover is a young Alyx's drawing of him, with the affectionate words 'Uncle Kleiner' on it. A book by Kleiner, From Here to There in Under a Second (likely about teleportation), can also be found in Eli's lab at Black Mesa East. ''Half-Life 2: Episode One In ''Half-Life 2: Episode One Kleiner is not seen in person and is only spoken to directly once in a video transmission with Alyx during the first chapter. However, he is frequently seen during the later chapters on video screens and televisions previously reserved for Breencasts. This message is recorded and looped, simply instructing survivors to make their way to the nearest train station to evacuate City 17. Kleiner also amusingly informs people that the Combine's Suppression Field is no longer in effect so that "those so inclined should give serious consideration to doing their part for the revival of the species" to which Alyx comments, "is Dr Kleiner really telling everyone to... get busy?". The messages also include some vague information to try and rally people in the face of the fact that the Rebellion is only really beginning and will likely get worse before it gets better. It is likely that all these transmissions are broadcast from White Forest. ''Half-Life 2: Episode Two Kleiner reappears once again in ''Half-Life 2: Episode Two. First, he is seen beside Dr. Eli Vance and Dr. Arne Magnusson on the first video communication with Alyx and Gordon; he is not seen again until later on when Alyx and Gordon reach White Forest (except during the G-Man's speech). He spends most of his time working with Dr. Magnusson on his rocket. Before the launch, Kleiner briefly notes Magnusson that there is an eight and a half pound anomaly, but Magnusson declares it is within tolerance and the rocket should be fired anyway. Unfortunately for Kleiner, the anomaly was Lamarr who had snuck onto the rocket while the nose cap was open earlier. Towards the game's ending, when it is discovered that Judith Mossman found the Borealis, Kleiner is enthusiastic about the research contained on the vessel's use against the Combine, but Eli disagrees and states it could be responsible for another disaster on par with the Black Mesa Incident. After the rocket launch, Kleiner remains inside to help Magnusson with destroying the Combine Superportal while Alyx, Eli, Dog and Gordon go outside to see the Superportal dissipate. Relationships Gordon Freeman Gordon Freeman was taught by Kleiner at MIT. He then recommended Gordon's position to the administration of Black Mesa, after which they became coworkers. At Black Mesa, Kleiner had apparently a habit of locking himself out of his office and Gordon would race Barney to "break in" to it.Half-Life 2: Episode One Gordon became Kleiner's assistant again as a part of the human Resistance on Earth. He holds Gordon in the highest respects, even though he admits his heroic acts tend to cause trouble. Barney Calhoun Dr. Kleiner probably knew Barney well through Gordon. Barney would later aid Kleiner in the human Resistance in various ways, though mainly by working undercover in the Civil Protection, keeping the Combine away from his Lab, at no doubt tremendous risk to himself. Alyx Vance Dr. Kleiner knew Alyx when she was an infant at Black Mesa, and they were close enough for her to call him "Uncle" in a collage she made. In Half-Life 2 they both work together in his lab, and on sending refugees on foot through the canals. Eli Vance Eli is almost the polar opposite to Isaac. He is laid back and confident, whereas Kleiner is reserved, logical, and cautious in most situations. Coincidentally, this is probably why they make such a good team. They have both known each other and worked together since the days of Black Mesa. Kleiner is also affectionately nicknamed "Izzy" by Eli on various occasions. Arne Magnusson While Eli is the opposite to Isaac, Arne is simply headstrong with a very short temper. He has no patience for most of Kleiner's input and at times appears to give him many tedious and long tasks. Behind the scenes *Kleiner is voiced by Harry S. Robins, the voice of most of the scientists in the original Half-Life and its expansions. *"Kleiner" is a German and Hebrew surname. Related to "klein", "small" in German, it has several translations, most of the time related to "reduce" or "inferior". "Isaac" is also Hebrew, and comes from "Yitzchaq", meaning "he laughs".http://www.behindthename.com/name/isaac In the Old Testament, Isaac was the son of Abraham, which God asked to sacrifice to test his faith, though an angel prevented the act at the last moment. As an English Christian name, "Isaac" was occasionally used during the Middle Ages, though it was more common among Jews. It became more widespread after the Protestant Reformation. Kleiner shares his first name with physicist and mathematician Isaac Newton, and the science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov and the late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. *Kleiner is basically the Half-Life bespectacled scientist model ("scientist01", or "Walter") turned into a real character, as it happened for Walter Bennet. Kleiner's Half-Life 2 appearance was based on Ted Cohrt, an accountant working in the firm about Valve's office. Kleiner's face originally depicted him as much older man,Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar''Playable [[Half-Life 2 Beta|''Half-Life 2 Beta]] files but the team changed his mind when they came across Ted Cohrt in an elevator. It is also said that team members sometimes ran into him at Starbucks and the ones who did not know he was Kleiner's face were staring at him, trying to figure out why he looked so familiar.Bill Van Buren, Content Lead at Valve, in Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar After Cohrt was taken as the model, the older Kleiner face was recycled into the elder Counter-Strike: Source hostage. Although the old Kleiner model has nothing to do with Ted Cohrt, it is named "cohrt.mdl",Playable ''Half-Life 2'' Beta files while the final model, based on Ted Cohrt, is simply called "kleiner.mdl". "Walter" is still used as the name of Kleiner's face texture. *The current model originally had a green shirt and black tie.Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar''Playable [[Half-Life 2 Beta|''Half-Life 2 Beta]] files *As suggested by the Half-Life strategy guide, Kleiner's first name was originally "Alex", which was probably changed to avoid confusion with "Alyx". *According to the original teleportation sequence's sound files in the Half-Life 2 Beta files, Kleiner was to die or be hurt and left unconscious during the teleportation failure.Playable ''Half-Life 2'' Beta files *At the end of the second Episode Two teaser trailer released August 2006,[http://store.steampowered.com/app/930/ Second Episode Two teaser trailer] Kleiner can be seen in an humorous situation in the rocket silo at White Forest, saying "Mmhh... Now, that's interesting! I think we're getting somewhere!", then screaming when sparks spew from the rocket. This sentence/sequence is not featured in Episode Two; the scream is recycled from the scream Kleiner makes when Gordon appears behind him at the end of the teleportation failure at the start of Half-Life 2. Trivia At the end of the Half-Life 2 chapter Entanglement, Kleiner is shown poking his head through a door in his lab while holding a shotgun in a possible nod towards the original Half-Life. A scientist at the end of the chapter Lambda Core is shown holding a shotgun in a similar, scared fashion, and is spawned as the scientist model that Dr. Kleiner is based on. It is possible that scientist actually is Kleiner, as it is the Scientist01 that is Kleiner's base model. Gallery ''Half-Life'' File:Gordon letter PS2.jpg|Freeman's letter of acceptance to Black Mesa, where Kleiner is mentioned, as it appears in the instruction manual of the PlayStation 2 version of Half-Life. File:Scientist 01.jpg|Scientist01 model. File:Shotgun scientist HL.jpg|The shotgun scientist and a security guard. ''Half-Life 2'' Pre-release File:Cohrt.jpg|"Cohrt", Kleiner's original model. File:D1 lab0001.jpg|Kleiner's original teleport. File:Ted Cohrt.jpg|Ted Cohrt's picture used as Kleiner's face texture. File:Kleiner model rtb.jpg|Early model with green shirt and black tie. Retail File:Photo group001a2.png|The Anomalous Materials team before the Black Mesa Incident. Kleiner is the third from the right. File:Popular scientist.png|A brown-haired Isaac Kleiner on the cover of "Popular Scientist". The hair was Photoshopped on a screenshot of his model. The hidden words are "Quantum Physics". File:Kleiner by alyx.png|"Uncle" Kleiner collage, by a child Alyx, on his cork board. File:D1 trainstation 050018.jpg|Kleiner looking for Lamarr in his lab. File:D1 trainstation 05002.jpg|Alyx and Kleiner at Kleiner's Lab. File:D1 trainstation 050019.jpg|Ditto. File:D1 trainstation 05000900.jpg|Kleiner and Barney at Kleiner's Lab. File:D1 trainstation 050010.jpg|Alyx, Kleiner and Barney in Kleiner's Lab. File:D1 trainstation 05000100.jpg|Kleiner reading the Mark V HEV Suit specs. File:Lamarr and Kleiner.jpg|Kleiner asking Lamarr to jump on top of his head. File:Eli books.jpg|Eli Vance's books at Black Mesa East, containing one by Kleiner. File:Kleiner shotgun.jpg|Kleiner greeting Alyx and Gordon with a shotgun and Lamarr. File:D3 c17 010004.jpg|Kleiner and Alyx discussing the start of the rebellion in the partially destroyed lab. ''Half-Life 2: Episode One'' File:Ep1 citadel 000022.jpg|Kleiner and Eli not settling about what to do. File:Ep1 citadel 000002.JPG|Kleiner seen in the projector's lens. File:Lamarr breencast.jpg|Kleiner holding Lamarr at the very start of his pirate Breencast. ''Half-Life 2: Episode Two'' File:Kleiner eli screen different office.jpg|Kleiner and Eli in a different control room in the second Episode Two teaser trailer. File:Kleiner silo from top.jpg|The rocket and Kleiner in the White Forest rocket silo in the second Episode Two teaser trailer. File:Kleiner holding lamarr.jpg|Kleiner defending Lamarr from Magnusson's rants about her in White Forest's rocket silo. File:Ep2 outland 110045.jpg|Kleiner holding Alyx's EMP Tool at White Forest. File:Ep2 outland 12a0091.JPG|Kleiner showing Gordon the rocket launch button at White Forest. Note the letter A hidden by tape, making a pun with the words "lunch" and "launch". File:Kleiner model ep2.jpg|''Episode Two'' model. List of appearances *''Half-Life'' instruction manual *''Half-Life: Blue Shift'' instruction manual *''Half-Life'' PlayStation 2 instruction manual *''Half-Life: Decay'' *''Half-Life 2'' *''Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar'' *''Half-Life 2: Deathmatch'' *''Half-Life 2: Episode One'' *Source Particle Benchmark *''Half-Life 2: Episode Two'' Notes and references See also *''Half-Life'' series retcons Category:Resistance Members Category:Half-Life 2 Category:Half-Life 2: Episode One Category:Half-Life 2: Episode Two Category:Black Mesa Scientists Category:Males Category:Allies